Background Meteorological factors are among the key extrinsic triggers for the onset and exacerbation of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD). Against the backdrop of sustained global warming, elucidating the impact of ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure on CVD, especially on pre-hospital CVD emergent events, has become imperative for evidence-based prevention and emergency preparedness. Objective To quantify the temporal trends of daily mean temperature and atmospheric pressure and their associations with pre-hospital CVD emergent events in Yantai, and to explore effect modification by demographic subgroups and geographic areas, thereby providing an empirical basis for the rational allocation of emergency medical resources. Methods Pre-hospital CVD emergency data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2022 were selected from the Yantai 120 Emergency Medical Command System. Synchronous meteorological factors and environmental pollutant data were obtained from the websites of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Centers for Environmental Information of the United States. Time-series analysis combined with distributed lag non-linear model was used to analyze the association between daily temperature, atmospheric pressure, and pre-hospital CVD emergencies. Average annual percentage changes (AAPC) were calculated using Joinpoint (version 5.2.0.0) to reflect temporal trends. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to screen variables with low collinearity for inclusion in the multi-pollutant adjusted models. Results From 2016 to 2022, a total of 268275 pre-hospital CVD emergency cases were recorded in Yantai City, showing an increasing annual trend (AAPC=7.16%, P=0.002). Emergency volume, daily temperature, atmospheric pressure, and PM₁₀ displayed marked seasonal patterns, with summer bottoms and winter peaks for emergencies, daily temperature higher in summer and lower in winter, and the inverse for atmospheric pressure. Correlation analysis showed that both daily temperature and atmospheric pressure were positively correlated with O₃, with correlation coefficients of 0.745 and 0.723, respectively; negatively correlated with PM_2.5, with correlation coefficients of −0.246 and −0.235, respectively; and negatively correlated with PM₁₀, with correlation coefficients of −0.241 and −0.229, respectively (P < 0.05). A U-shaped correlation was revealed between daily temperature and pre-hospital CVD emergency risk. Using 24 °C as the reference, risk was elevated at both low and high daily temperatures, with the strongest cold effect at –11 ℃ (RR=1.53, 95%CI: 1.35, 1.73) and strongest heat effect at 30 ℃ (RR=1.06, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.11); cold effects were prolonged (lag0–14d) compared to heat effects. Atmospheric pressure exhibited a positive association with emergencies; using a median of 1012.2 hPa as the reference, the maximum risk occurred at 1037 hPa (RR=1.25, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.52), with a 0–5 d lag. In the subgroup analysis, the impact of low temperature was more pronounced among females (RR_{−9 ℃}=1.66), people over 60 years (RR_{−9 ℃}=1.91), and rural residents (RR_{−9 ℃}=1.76). High atmospheric pressure significantly increased the risk of pre-hospital CVD emergency among females (RR_{1035 hPa}=1.54), people under 18 years (RR_{1035 hPa}=3.62), and rural residents (RR_{1035 hPa}=1.46). The sensitivity analysis results indicated that, after excluding the impact of pandemic and the degrees of freedom for time variations, the effects of daily average temperature and atmospheric pressure on pre-hospital CVD emergency volume were consistent with the primary analysis findings. Conclusion Both non-optimal temperature and atmospheric pressure significantly increase the pre-hospital CVD emergency volume; therefore, emergency medical services should develop targeted response protocols, optimize resource allocation, and intensify public health education to mitigate the pre-hospital burden attributable to temperature and pressure fluctuations.

BACKGROUND:Neutrophil extracellular traps and activated platelets are involved in the invasion,metastasis,growth,and angiogenesis of lung cancer,and are closely related to the development and prognosis of lung cancer.OBJECTIVE:To review the mechanism of neutrophil extracellular traps and activated platelets in lung cancer and their application in diagnosis,prognosis,and treatment of lung cancer.METHODS:"Platelet activation,lung neoplasms,extracellular traps,treatment"for English search terms and"lung cancer,neutrophil-extracellular traps,platelet activation,P-selectin,treatment"for Chinese search terms were searched in PubMed and CNKI databases.After reading the title and abstract of the literature,according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,63 articles with high relevance were finally included.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Formation of neutrophil extracellular traps and platelet activation were induced by lung tumor.(2)Neutrophil extracellular traps and activated platelets jointly promote the proliferation,growth and metastasis of lung cancer.(3)Neutrophil extracellular traps can be used as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis,prognosis and progression of lung cancer.(4)Targeting neutrophil extracellular traps and activating platelets can be used as potential therapies for lung cancer.

BACKGROUND:Neutrophil extracellular traps and activated platelets are involved in the invasion,metastasis,growth,and angiogenesis of lung cancer,and are closely related to the development and prognosis of lung cancer.OBJECTIVE:To review the mechanism of neutrophil extracellular traps and activated platelets in lung cancer and their application in diagnosis,prognosis,and treatment of lung cancer.METHODS:"Platelet activation,lung neoplasms,extracellular traps,treatment"for English search terms and"lung cancer,neutrophil-extracellular traps,platelet activation,P-selectin,treatment"for Chinese search terms were searched in PubMed and CNKI databases.After reading the title and abstract of the literature,according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,63 articles with high relevance were finally included.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Formation of neutrophil extracellular traps and platelet activation were induced by lung tumor.(2)Neutrophil extracellular traps and activated platelets jointly promote the proliferation,growth and metastasis of lung cancer.(3)Neutrophil extracellular traps can be used as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis,prognosis and progression of lung cancer.(4)Targeting neutrophil extracellular traps and activating platelets can be used as potential therapies for lung cancer.

ObjectiveTo construct and validate a clinical prediction model for inflammatory remission outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis （RA） patients with liver and kidney deficiency syndrome treated with Bushen Zhiwang Decoction （补肾治尪汤， BZD） based on metabolomics. MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted， enrol-ling 60 RA patients with liver and kidney deficiency syndrome. All patients were treated with BZD and conventional-dose oral conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs （csDMARDs） for 12 months. Clinical data were collected， and the change in disease activity score in 28 joints （DAS28） after treatment compared with baseline （△DAS28） was used as the primary outcome and grouping criterion. Peripheral blood samples were collected before treatment to analyze plasma metabolites. Differential analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator （LASSO） regression were used to preliminarily screen differential metabolites， followed by machine learning algorithms to further identify a core metabolite combination. Based on the expression levels of the core metabolite combination， a novel metabolite index， namely the metabolomics-based inflammatory remission score （Met-IRS）， was calculated using standar-dized metabolite values， and its clinical applicability was evaluated. A clinical prediction model was constructed by integrating clinical characteristics and Met-IRS， and the model performance was assessed. ResultsAmong the 60 patients， those with △DAS28 ≥ 0.27 were assigned to the high inflammatory remission group， while those with △DAS28 ＜ 0.27 were assigned to the low inflammatory remission group， with 30 cases in each group. Compared to the low inflammatory remission group， the high inflammatory remission group showed a higher frequency of methotrexate use and a lower positive rate of rheumatoid factor （RF） （P＜0.05）. Seven core metabolites were identified as the optimal combination， including mangiferic acid， fatty acid-hydroxy fatty acid ester 40∶6， fatty acid-hydroxy fatty acid ester 18∶0， fatty acid-hydroxy fatty acid ester 36∶1， glucosylceramide， lysophosphatidylcholine 22∶5， and pregnanetriol ketone. The calculated Met-IRS comprehensively reflected the characteristics of differential metabolites and demonstrated clinical applicability. Met-IRS was significantly higher in the high inflammatory remission group than in the low inflammatory remission group， and was positively correlated with high inflammatory remission outcomes （P＜0.05）. Based on the variables Met-IRS， methotrexate use， leflunomide use， and RF positivity， a clinical prediction model for inflammatory remission in RA treatment （Cj-RTRM） was constructed. Model performance evaluation demonstrated that the model had good clinical predictive ability， with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve （AUC） of 0.880， sensitivity 0.967， specificity 0.700 and Youden's index 0.667. ConclusionThe clinical prediction model Cj-RTRM constructed based on the metabolomics-based inflammatory remission score Met-IRS can effectively predict clinical inflammatory remission outcomes in RA patients treated with BZD and accurately identify the advantageous population for this treatment. This model provides guiding evidence for dynamic inflammation monitoring， targeted management， and identification of populations with advantages in traditional Chinese medicine.

ObjectiveTo reveal the molecular mechanism by which the traditional Chinese medicine compound prescription Qiangjing tablets regulate the aging of the testicular tissue and Leydig cells in rats through the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 （CDK4）-early 2 factor （E2F） signaling pathway. MethodsFor the cell experiment， 2-month-old SPF-grade SD male rats were selected and randomly assigned into a blank control group （administrated with an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride injection） and a Qiangjing tablets group （20 rats in each group） according to body weight. The Leydig cell model of aging was established by treatment of TM3 cells with 100 μmol·L^-1 H₂O₂， and the modeling performance was evaluated based on the levels of p16 and p21 determined by Western blot. The antioxidant NAC （1 mmol·L^-1） was used as the positive control for eliminating reactive oxygen species （ROS）. Cells were intervened with Qiangjing tablets-containing serum at low （2.5%）， medium （5%）， and high （10%） concentrations. The testosterone level in the cell supernatant was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the protein levels of CDK4， E2F1， and E2F2 were analyzed by Western blot. In the animal experiment， 19-month-old naturally aging rats were used as the model group， and 2-month-old rats as the young control group. The positive control group was subcutaneously injected with 5.21 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 testosterone propionate. Qiangjing tablets were administered by gavage at low， medium， and high doses of 0.72， 1.44， 2.88 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively. The general conditions of rats were observed， and the protein levels of CDK4， E2F1， and E2F2 in the testicular tissue were determined by Western blot. ResultsIn the cell experiment， compared with the blank control group， the model group showed upregulated expression of CDK4 and E2F1 （P<0.05） and slightly downregulated expression of E2F2. Compared with that in the model group， the expression of CDK4 was upregulated in the NAC group and the low-dose Qiangjing tablets group （P<0.05）， slightly upregulated in the medium-dose Qiangjing tablets group， and downregulated in the high-dose Qiangjing tablets group （P<0.05）. The NAC group showed downregulated expression of E2F1 （P<0.05） and E2F2， and the low-， medium-， and high-dose Qiangjing tablets groups showed downregulated expression of both E2F1 and E2F2 （P<0.05）. Compared with that in the NAC group， the expression of CDK4 was upregulated in the low-dose Qiangjing tablets group and downregulated in the medium-dose and high dose （P<0.05） groups. The expression of E2F1 was down-regulated in all the three dose groups， with statistically significance in the high dose group （P<0.05）， and that of E2F2 were downregulated in all the three dose groups （P<0.05）. In the animal experiment， compared with the young control group， the model group exhibited downregulated expression of CDK4 （P<0.05） and slightly upregulated expression of E2F1 and E2F2. Compared with that in the model group， the expression of CDK4 decreased in the testosterone propionate group and the low-dose Qiangjing tablets group （P<0.05） but increased in the medium-dose （P<0.05） and high-dose groups. In addition， the expression of E2F1 decreased （P<0.05）， and that of E2F2 was slightly elevated. Compared with that in the NAC group， CDK4 expression was elevated in the Qiangjing tablets groups， with statistical significance in the medium- and high-dose groups （P<0.05）. Similarly， the E2F1 expression was also upregulated in the Qiangjing tablets groups， with statistical significance in the medium-dose group （P<0.05）. The expression of E2F2 was downregulated in all the Qiangjing tablets groups. ConclusionQiangjing tablets delay the aging process of Leydig cells and testicular tissue by up-regulating the expression of CDK4 and lowering the levels of E2F1 and E2F2.

ObjectiveBased on the multidimensional correlation analysis framework of "disease， syndrome， formula， and medicine"， this study aims to systematically elucidate the regulatory effects of effective components in Qiangjing tablet on testosterone synthesis pathways in testicular Leydig cells under oxidative stress， providing a theoretical basis for the treatment of male infertility with traditional Chinese medicine and modern research on compounds. MethodsDisease targets for male infertility were obtained from The Human Gene Database （GeneCards， score ≥20）， the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database （CTD， score ≥150）， DrugBank （score ≥0.2）， and DisGeNET （score ≥0.2）. Targets related to the syndrome of kidney deficiency and blood stasis were acquired from the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome association database SymMap. Components of Qiangjing tablet were retrieved based on The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine （ETCM） database and the Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP）， and they were screened according to a quantitative estimate of drug-likeness （QED ≥ 0.49） and a target confidence index>0.8. Intersecting targets were taken to construct a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network using the STRING database. The network was visualized with Cytoscape software and subjected to the functional annotation of gene ontology （GO） and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis. Quality markers （Q-markers） were predicted via the ADMETlab 2.0 platform based on Lipinski's rule， Pfizer's rule， GSK's rule， and the Golden Triangle. For experimental validation， rats' testicular Leydig cells were used. Exosomes were extracted and loaded with active components via the ultrasonic method. Exosome concentration was determined using a BCA protein quantification kit. Morphology was observed using a transmission electron microscope. The particle size was analyzed with a particle size analyzer. The surface marker proteins such as cluster of differentiation 9 （CD9）， cluster of differentiation 63 （CD63）， and cluster of differentiation 81 （CD81） were identified by Western blot， and drug loading capacity was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. An oxidative stress model was induced by alpha， alpha'-azodiisobutyramidine dihydrochloride （AAPH）， and Leydig cells were divided into the following groups： A control group， an AAPH group， a quercetin group （Que group）， an exosome group （Exo group）， and a QUE-loaded Exo group （Que-Exo group）. The cell viability was detected using the 3-（4，5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2，5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） thiazolyl blue assay. The reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured by flow cytometry. The levels of oxidative indicators， including malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， catalase （CAT）， and testosterone （T）， were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The expressions of steroidogenic enzymes such as cytochrome p450 family 11 subfamily a member 1 （CYP11A1）， hydroxy-delta-5-steroid dehydrogenase， 3 beta- and steroid delta-isomerase 1 （HSD3B1）， and hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase 3 （HSD17B3）， regulatory factors such as steroidogenic factor 1 （SF-1） and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein （StAR）， and miR-145-5p content， were detected by Western blot and real-time polymerse chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsNetwork pharmacology analysis reveals that the main active components of Qiangjing tablet for intervening in male infertility with kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome were Que， luteolin， etc.， with the core mechanism involving pathways such as steroid hormone biosynthesis. Experimental results show that compared with the control group， the AAPH group exhibits significantly reduced cell viability （P<0.01）， decreased mitochondrial membrane potential （P<0.01）， significantly elevated levels of ROS， MDA， and miR-145-5p （P<0.01）， significantly reduced activities of SOD， GSH-Px， and CAT， as well as reduced testosterone content （P<0.01）， and significantly downregulated protein and mRNA expressions of steroidogenic enzymes， SF-1， and StAR （P<0.01）. The above indicators were reversed in the Que and Que-Exo groups （P<0.05）. Compared with the Que group， the Que-Exo group showed more significant effects in enhancing cell viability， mitochondrial membrane potential， testosterone level， antioxidant enzyme activities， and expressions of key molecules in the steroidogenic pathway （P<0.05）. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that Que， an active component of Qiangjing tablet， inhibits oxidative stress reaction， improves mitochondrial function in Leydig cells， upregulates steroidogenic enzyme expression， and restores testosterone production. As a carrier for Que， Exo enhance its stability， delivery efficiency， and biological effect. Additionally， miR-145-5p may be closely associated with testosterone synthesis， though its precise molecular mechanism requires further exploration. By integrating traditional Chinese medicine compounds with modern scientific technology， this research expands the paths for the modernized research of traditional Chinese medicine and opens a novel therapeutic direction with translational potential for clinical intervention of male infertility.

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical efficacy of donafenib combined with programmed death-1 （PD-1） inhibitors and vascular intervention therapy in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS This retrospective study included 165 patients with unresectable HCC who were treated at the Fourth and First Affiliated Hospitals of Soochow University between June 2022 and March 2023. Among them， 89 patients received PD-1 inhibitors （tislelizumab or sintilimab， similarly hereinafter） plus vascular intervention （control group） and 76 patients received donafenib in combination with PD-1 inhibitors and vascular intervention （observation group）. Short-term efficacy （3 months after treatment）， long-term efficacy （2 years after treatment）， the levels of liver function indexes [serum alanine amino-transferase （ALT）， aspartate transferase （AST）， and total bilirubin （TBil）] and tumor biomarkers [alpha fetoprotein （AFP）， carcinoembryonic antigen （CEA）， carbohydrate antigen 19-9 （CA19-9）， and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin （DCP）] before treatment and after 3 months of treatment， as well as the occurrence of adverse drug reaction （ADR） during treatment， were compared between the two groups. In addition， overall response rate （ORR） stratified by PD-1 inhibitor type was analyzed. RESULTS After treatment， the ORR was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group （P＜0.05）； although the disease control rate was higher in the observation group compared to the control group， the difference was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. The median overall survival of patients in the observation group was 16.9 months [95% confidence interval （CI）： 14.2 to 19.1 months]， which was significantly longer than that in the control group （12.4 months， 95%CI： 10.1 to 15.3 months） （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analysis result indicated that therapeutic advantage was consistent across both sintilimab and tislelizumab subgroups， with no significant heterogeneity （P＞0.1， I 2＜0.001%）. Before treatment， there were no significant differences in liver function indexes or tumor marker levels between 2 groups （P＞0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant declines in these indicators compared with baseline （P＜0.05）， with greater reductions observed in the observation group （P＜0.05）. There were no statistically significant differences in overall incidence of ADR and grade ≥3 ADRs between the two groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS For patients with unresectable HCC， the combination of donafenib， PD-1 inhibitors and vascular intervention therapy may achieve superior clinical outcomes without increasing the risk of treatment-related ADR.

BACKGROUND: While emotional distress, encompassing anxiety and depression, has been associated with negative clinical outcomes, its impact across various clinical departments and general hospitals has been less explored. Previous studies with limited sample sizes have examined the effectiveness of specific treatments (e.g., antidepressants) rather than a systemic management strategy for outcome improvement in non-psychiatric inpatients. To enhance the understanding of the importance of addressing mental health care needs among non-psychiatric patients in general hospitals, this study retrospectively investigated the impacts of emotional distress and the effects of early detection and management of depression and anxiety on hospital length of stay (LOS) and rate of long LOS (LLOS, i.e., LOS >30 days) in a large sample of non-psychiatric inpatients. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 487,871 inpatients from 20 non-psychiatric departments of a general hospital. They were divided, according to whether they underwent a novel strategy to manage emotional distress which deployed the Huaxi Emotional Distress Index (HEI) for brief screening with grading psychological services (BS-GPS), into BS-GPS ( n = 178,883) and non-BS-GPS ( n = 308,988) cohorts. The LOS and rate of LLOS between the BS-GPS and non-BS-GPS cohorts and between subcohorts with and without clinically significant anxiety and/or depression (CSAD, i.e., HEI score ≥11 on admission to the hospital) in the BS-GPS cohort were compared using univariable analyses, multilevel analyses, and/or propensity score-matched analyses, respectively. RESULTS: The detection rate of CSAD in the BS-GPS cohort varied from 2.64% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.49%-2.81%) to 20.50% (95% CI: 19.43%-21.62%) across the 20 departments, with a average rate of 5.36%. Significant differences were observed in both the LOS and LLOS rates between the subcohorts with CSAD (12.7 days, 535/9590) and without CSAD (9.5 days, 3800/169,293) and between the BS-GPS (9.6 days, 4335/178,883) and non-BS-GPS (10.8 days, 11,483/308,988) cohorts. These differences remained significant after controlling for confounders using propensity score-matched comparisons. A multilevel analysis indicated that BS-GPS was negatively associated with both LOS and LLOS after controlling for sociodemographics and the departments of patient discharge and remained negatively associated with LLOS after controlling additionally for the year of patient discharge. CONCLUSION Emotional distress significantly prolonged the LOS and increased the LLOS of non-psychiatric inpatients across most departments and general hospitals. These impacts were moderated by the implementation of BS-GPS. Thus, BS-GPS has the potential as an effective, resource-saving strategy for enhancing mental health care and optimizing medical resources in general hospitals.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Psychological Distress ; Inpatients/psychology* ; Aged ; Anxiety/diagnosis* ; Depression/diagnosis*

Type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) is a prevalent metabolic and endocrine disorder. Long-term hyperglycemia can lead to severe chronic complications, imposing substantial economic burdens on both society and patients. Despite the availability of various hypoglycemic agents for clinical use, these agents often fail to meet the therapeutic needs of T2DM and its complications. Consequently, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies and drugs. Lithocarpus litseifolius(L. litseifolius), commonly referred to as "cordyceps on trees", has a long history of use in traditional medicine and can be applied in tea, sugar, and medicine. Research indicates that L. litseifolius extracts are rich in dihydrochalcones, including trilobatin, phloridzin, and phloretin, which exhibit a range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective effects. These properties suggest potential applications in the treatment of T2DM and its complications. This review systematically compiled and organized the relevant literature from the past decade on dihydrochalcones(trilobatin, phloridzin, and phloretin) from L. litseifolius extracts. It highlighted recent research progress regarding their role in treating T2DM and its complications through mechanisms such as reducing insulin resistance, regulating glucose transport, improving glucose and lipid metabolism, modulating enzyme activity, regulating gut microbiota, and alleviating inflammation and oxidative damage. The purpose of this review is to provide a reference and basis for future research on the prevention and treatment of T2DM and its complications using dihydrochalcones(trilobatin, phloridzin, and phloretin) from L. litseifolius extracts.
Chalcones/chemistry* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; Humans ; Animals ; Elaeocarpaceae/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/chemistry*